Avantium and Sukano sign offtake agreement to develop PEF film masterbatches

11 Apr 2022 --- Avantium, a leading producer of PEF (polyethylene furanoate) bioplastic, has signed a conditional offtake agreement with Sukano, an expert in additive and color masterbatches and compounds for polyester and specialty resins, to produce PEF-based films.

The masterbatches for PEF film applications are tailored to impart properties to plastics effectively to diversify and expand polymer applications. With PEF from Avantium’s FDCA Flagship Plant, Sukano will develop masterbatches for PEF resins, facilitating fast adoption in diversified markets.

Avantium recently announced that it had started the construction of the world’s first commercial plant to produce FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) from plant-based sugars. FDCA is the key ingredient for making the high-performance PEF material.

The company expects that construction of the FDCA Flagship Plant in the north of the Netherlands will be completed by the end of 2023, enabling PEF’s commercial launch in 2024. In 2021, Avantium generated offtake commitments for half of the Flagship Plant’s capacity.

“The most important next step for building the plant and making the product available is making sure we facilitate market adoption,” Avantium’s CEO Tom van Aken tells PackagingInsights. “We have recently announced a partnership with Louis Vuitton to apply PEF in their beauty products.”

“Ultimately, the company is a technology licensing business, so we do foresee that we are going to be building large scale plants by ourselves [while] working with partners to ensure they are building and operating their own large scale facilities, thereby rapidly supplying material to meet market demand.”Sukano and Avantium jointly developed antiblock masterbatches for PEF film applications.

PEF-based film development
Sukano and Avantium teamed up to develop antiblock masterbatches for PEF film applications. The partners have conducted comprehensive lab trials in Sukano’s in-house R&D laboratory, producing biaxially oriented PEF films for packaging applications.

The collaborative development work has resulted in two prototype masterbatches capable of providing antiblock performance on the surface of biaxially oriented PEF film. Both developed antiblock masterbatches significantly reduce friction without interfering with the film’s performance. The availability of antiblock masterbatches opens the possibility to further develop PEF and PEF-based films at (pre-)industrial-scale equipment.

“The PEF offering and performance sparked our interest, and we are impressed by the potential of this new resin,” says Sukano’s CEO, Norman Egger. “With Sukano’s pioneering and entrepreneurial backbone, we are convinced that our expertise in additives and color masterbatches for polyesters adds clear value to the use of PEF in various applications.”

“The conditional offtake agreement with Avantium is a key step forward to showcase this and to provide our customers with fit-for-purpose innovative and bio-based polyester alternatives to lower the environmental impact of this industry value chain.”Avantium’s CEO Tom van Aken.

“With Sukano’s application know-how and expertise on masterbatches and compounds on the one hand and Avantium’s knowledge on PEF, it is a natural step to work together to innovate quicker and further, while opening the road for the tailored performance of PEF in industrial film, fiber and molded applications,” adds van Aken.

Global bioplastic expansion
European Bioplastics has revealed global bioplastics production will more than triple over the next five years (2021-2026), according to market data compiled in cooperation with the nova-Institute. Notably, Asia is predicted to surpass 70% market share by 2026.

“The importance of a more than 200% growth rate within the next five years cannot be overstated,” said François de Bie, EUBP chairman, at the European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, Germany, in December 2021.

“Before 2026, the share of bioplastics in the total global production of plastics will surpass the 2% mark for the first time. Our formula for success is a strong belief in the abilities of our industry, the aspiration for continuous innovation, and the courage to make the necessary financial investments.”

We recently spoke in-depth with Avantium’s van Aken about how geopolitical events – like the Russia-Ukraine war – and the regulatory landscape, are impacting bioplastic demand.

PackagingInsights also explored the latest trends, research and business developments in biodegradable packaging innovation in conversation with some of the industry’s top experts.

By Joshua Poole

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